


Least favorite day of the year

by missing_fawkes



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Birthday Party, Boys In Love, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, POV Castiel (Supernatural), Roommates, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:33:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24257455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missing_fawkes/pseuds/missing_fawkes
Summary: "But do you want presents?," Cas asked, voice soft in the way he knew would get Dean to turn around and face him."Do I want presents?," Dean repeated, disbelieving like he'd never been asked that question before. For a short moment he looked at Cas with wide-eyed confusion as if he couldn't figure out why this of all things was the matter Cas focused on, before his expression closed off and he returned to his task of moving their dirty dishes from the sink to the washer, his grip on the plates so tight Cas feared the porcelain would shatter."I'll tell you what I want, Cas," Dean said, "On that particular day, like any other goddamn day of the year, I wanna go to class, go to work, and go home where I make dinner for us and then sit on the couch watching Star Wars or Dr. Sexy or some brainless reality show, before going to bed. That's it. Perfect birthday for me. Wouldn't dream of wanting anything else."
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Charlie Bradbury & Castiel, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Comments: 2
Kudos: 77
Collections: Destiel Instagram One Shot Contest - May 2020





	Least favorite day of the year

"For the last time Cas, I'm not telling you!"  
Dean sounded genuinely irritated, yet somehow Cas could not refrain from pushing.   
"Why not?," he asked, partly as provocation, partly out of curiosity.   
"Because," Dean said, shutting the oven door with a lot more force than necessary, "it is just another day and I don't want you to make a big deal out of it and don't tell me you won't."  
He pointed an accusatory finger, frowning at the answering eye roll.  
"Because I know you will and I can do very well without all the shit that goes along with that. I don't need presents, I don't need to be the center of attention and I sure as hell don't need the fake friendliness that comes with the entire thing."  
He was loading the dishwasher now, punctuating each word by shoving glasses into the machine like they had personally offended him.  
"I just don't get the point. If I want something, I buy it. If I want pie, I bake one. If I want to have friends over, I invite them. No special occasion needed." 

"But do you want presents?," Cas asked, voice soft in the way he knew would get Dean to turn around and face him.  
"Do I want presents?," Dean repeated, disbelieving like he'd never been asked that question before. For a short moment he looked at Cas with wide-eyed confusion as if he couldn't figure out why this of all things was the matter Cas focused on, before his expression closed off and he returned to his task of moving their dirty dishes from the sink to the washer, his grip on the plates so tight Cas feared the porcelain would shatter.

"I'll tell you what I want, Cas," Dean said, "On that particular day, like any other goddamn day of the year, I wanna go to class, go to work, and go home where I make dinner for us and then sit on the couch watching Star Wars or Dr. Sexy or some brainless reality show, before going to bed. That's it. Perfect birthday for me. Wouldn't dream of wanting anything else."

"Dean," Cas said, blue eyes pleading in the puppy dog way he knew Dean could not resist, "Come on, it's your birthday. It's supposed to be your special day. Your friends doing something nice for you is not fake friendliness, it's them celebrating the fact that you were born. Please, just tell me. Let me do something nice for you."

Instead of answering Dean reached for Cas' hand, pulling him into a hug and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Melting against his boyfriend, Cas allowed himself to forget his purpose for a short while. He didn't want to argue with Dean, and arguing about something like his birthday seemed ridiculous, but it felt weird to not know. They had not been together for long, only recently updating their relationship status from roommates to boyfriends, but there had been an instant connection between them, and considering they shared everything, not knowing such an important detail about the man most important to him just felt wrong.

As if sensing Cas' inner turmoil, Dean hugged him even tighter.  
"It's got nothing to with you, Cas. I just don't like my birthday, is all. None of my other friends know either. Sam is the only person who lives to tell the tale, so don't worry about it, okay?"  
"Fine," he said, reluctantly letting go, "I'll drop it. For now."  
He leveled a stern look at his boyfriend.  
"But only because I have to go and don't want to part in strife."

Dean shook his head, the look of love and affection in his eyes setting off a swarm of butterflies in Cas' stomach.  
"You're something else, you know that?"  
"I know," Cas said, tilting his head up to steal another kiss, "it's why you love me."  
"Yeah, yeah," Dean grumbled, but leaned down to meet Cas' lips.  
"Just promise, you won't worry about this all day."

And Cas tried. He really did his best to ban their conversation to the darkest corner of his brain, but it wouldn't stop bothering him.   
It was on his mind as he sat in class, drowning out his professor's lecture, and it was still occupying his thoughts when he walked across campus to meet with Charlie for coffee.  
If Dean didn't want to tell Cas, then that was his decision, and Cas had to accept that. That did not mean he had to like it. 

Lost in thoughts, he nearly jumped out of his skin when an arm was slung over his shoulder.  
"What got you looking so grumpy, hot shot? Trouble in paradise?"  
Smiling again, Cas leaned down to wrap Charlie in a hug.  
It was impossible to be in a bad mood in the company of his best friend.  
"Not really, no, " he answered truthfully, falling into step with her as she made a beeline for the coffee shop, and he meant it. Everything was great, but Dean withholding something as important as his birthday from him made him feel off.  
Charlie gave him a look that told him she did not believe a word he was saying. He was saved by a young woman holding the door open for the two of them on her way out of the shop.   
The grateful smile in her direction kept him from answering Charlie's question, and he walked directly towards their usual table just to defer the interrogation he knew was about to follow.   
She slid on the bench across from him and narrowed her eyes.

"Something's bothering you," she declared matter-of-factly, and Cas didn't know if he should be grateful for or annoyed by her intuition.  
"It's nothing," he said, looking at the menu like he did not know exactly what he was going to order.  
Before Charlie could even try to object he dropped the farce - and the laminated paper sheet, and let out a long-suffering sigh.  
"Dean won't tell me his birthday and I am going insane over it. He insists he doesn't want anything, that I should just quit bugging him - which I have been doing consistently over the last few week - because the whole concept is overrated and stupid, but I don't believe him. I don't believe he believes that. He threw you the most gigantic Moondoor themed party for your 21st birthday and he went out of his way to get Sam a signed copy of this weird super rare criminology book and he had the perfect day planned for mine … I simply don't understand why he won't let me do the same for him. Or at least tell me the damn date. I'm his boyfriend for crying out loud, I should know his fucking birthday."

Abruptly realizing he had raised his voice, Cas shot Charlie an apologetic look, before repeating more quietly: "I should know."  
"I agree," Charlie nodded, "but this is Dean we're talking about. If he doesn't want to tell you, he won't, and the more you push him, the more determined he will become to not say anything."  
"I know, " Cas said, "believe me, I know, but I have to do something. He deserves something nice, something that's just for him. I don't think he's ever really had that. Last week I brought him flowers and his eyes watered so quickly I thought he was having an allergic reaction. Turns out he's never received a gift, just because."

Charlie nodded, not seeming surprised. Then her face lit up and Cas could actually see the metaphorical light bulb going on above her head.  
"We could throw him a "It's probably not your birthday"-party", " she announced excitedly, "Invite a couple of friends, get him some gifts, pie - of course - and just dedicate one random day to him. So what if we don't know his actual birthday? We can still celebrate him, right?"  
"Charlie, " Cas said, a smile beginning to spread over his face, growing wider and wider the more she elaborated, "you are an amazing human being/genius and I will love you until the day I die."  
"I know, I know," Charlie grinned, "You can tell me again how awesome I am once we're done coming up with the most amazing party plan known to mankind."

The plan was terrible.  
It was Friday, January 24th and Cas' nerves were killing him and Dean would most certainly be more than happy to help out, should they fail in their attempt.  
This was a train wreck. An unparalleled catastrophe.   
Why had he ever thought this was a good idea? This was it. Dean was going to break up with him.  
Maybe not right away, because Cas had invited all of Dean's closest friends, in front of whom he would not cause a scene.  
But after.   
Right after this ridiculous gathering was over. Who the hell titled something a "It's probably not your birthday"-party and thought it was a good idea?  
Sam was sitting on the couch next to Eileen, and he was constantly shooting knowing smiles in Cas' direction that were freaking him out, because they obviously meant that Sam knew how Dean would react to this (which was badly, of course, since Cas had overstepped his boundaries and everything was going to burn).

"Deep breaths," Charlie said way too calmly beside him.  
Despite the party being initially her idea, Cas had planned and prepared everything by himself. He had wanted to do something for Dean. To show him he was special and loved and deserved all the good things.  
In hindsight he should probably have realized he was doing something to Dean.  
"He's going to love it," Charlie said, sensing his panic and running a hand up and down his back in a soothing motion.  
"You did not go overboard, but you invited the people he loves. You stood in the kitchen for hours, preparing food and baking him three kinds of pie. You got him practical gifts that are still personal - tell you what, if he doesn't want that Marauders' map apron, I'm taking it, and I'm not above stealing his new hoodie either, even though I'm pretty sure you planned on doing that."  
She smiled warmly at Cas, willing him to believe her.  
"Listen, even if he's not happy about it, he will see how much effort you put into this and he is going to love you even more for it. This will be good, Cas, believe me."  
"Okay," he said, slowly letting out a breath, "this is fine."  
He nodded.   
Outside he could hear a key rattling against a lock and his anxiety returned immediately with full force.   
These were his last moments in the most rewarding relationship of his life. It was only a matter of seconds until it would all fall apart.  
Charlie was wrong.  
Sam was wrong.  
Everybody was wrong.  
This was a bad idea and Cas' world was about to collapse.

But it didn't.   
The smile that graced Dean's face when he opened the door and saw his friends waiting for him put the sun to shame in its brightness and Cas nearly teared up when Dean threw himself into his arms.  
He buried his nose in the crook of Cas' neck and Cas could feel Dean smile against his skin as he whispered: "How did you know?"


End file.
